


The Twisted Kind of Love

by IDetestTragedy



Series: Zero Requiem: Ante et Post [7]
Category: Code Geass
Genre: Drama, F/M, Mild Sexual Content, Post-Canon, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-29
Updated: 2012-08-29
Packaged: 2017-11-13 03:13:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/498808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IDetestTragedy/pseuds/IDetestTragedy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The love for one who is beyond their reach leads to a new love for each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Twisted Kind of Love

Cornelia li Britannia. That was what spellbound two unlikely individuals to share their bed; it was not that Gilbert G. P. Guilford found Nonette Enneagram particularly captivating or the other way round. Two different persons, same unreachable goal. The second princess of the holy empire of Britannia would not spare a thought for love life; all her devotions were poured into the country's welfare. It was just a matter of time when the twisted kind of love was formed between personal knight of the second princess and the Knight of Nine. Love. Love? Did such thing even exist between them? Apart from mutual need, what else was there?

The day he was appointed to be Cornelia's personal knight, Guilford pondered:

 

_From the verdant meadows_

_To the brimming oceans_

_This Britannia stands proud_

_Thou art one in the world_

_The Lord God's favour'd land!_

_  
_

_Glorious Britannia_

_Ceaselessly expanding_

_Unto the edge of earth_

_Through boundless wavy seas_

_Shalt thy kingdom take form_

_  
_

_O Lord, her highness bless_

_The bringer of victory_

_The trampler of heathens_

_The true light in the dark_

_Her royal blood guide us_

_  
_

_Heaven be by my side_

_Justice be my sword_

_Honour be my shield_

_My life I'll gladly give_

_Protect that one Princess_

_  
_

_Remarkable country_

_Where ancient fame abides,_

_Thine is my heart and soul;_

_O Majestic Lady,_

_Thine is my loyalty._

 

To Nonette, on the other hand, love found its way more slowly. When Cornelia had first come to the academy, Nonette presumed her lilac haired underclassman would be as spoiled, frolic and haughty as a pampered princess could be. And yet, Cornelia proved to be far more competent, responsible and disciplined than many others. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was the best student in her year.

What had been a curiosity started to grow to be an admiration, and the admiration grew into friendship. They frequently sparred and had tea together, but during all those years spent in the academy, Nonette never pictured Cornelia in her mind romantically. It was not until her graduation ceremony almost ended that she started to realise how much she was going to miss the princess. But even then, she was unsure that that was love, for who'd have thought  _the_  Nonette Enneagram would turn out to be a lesbian?

Nevertheless, Eros couldn't care less whether or not his target was an exemplary student, the highest score holder of the year and even had the same gender as her love interest. Eros had always shot his arrows indiscriminately and he would still do so. Nonette could only confirm her feeling after she experienced emptiness in life without Cornelia.

As soon a she graduated, Nonette was admitted into a prominent company with a far higher salary than what a normal fresh graduate acquired. With such a promising future, everybody wondered what on earth caused Nonette to resign and joined the military instead.

Of course, that she did so for the sake of reunion with Cornelia remained a secret until today. Back in their academy days, the princess mentioned her ambition of strengthening Britannia through military mobilisation; joining the military was Nonette's only option — the only appropriate reason — to meet the girl of her dream.

It was not long before her achievements appeased the high officials and Nonette rose to become a member of the Knights of Round. It worked to certain extent. She caught Cornelia's attention, though as a dedicated soldier rather than a prospective lover.

At first, Nonette was jealous with Gilbert, as she noticed the way he looked at the princess secretly … it was as if she had meant the world to him!

As times went by, Nonette learnt that he, too, suffered from unrequited love. And she sympathised him. Still, it never crossed her mind to approach Cornelia's personal knight … not until he survived from the FLEIA (Field Limitary Effective Implosion Armament) bomb explosion — blind, but alive nevertheless.

When Cornelia's whereabouts was unknown after her battle with Zero, Nonette certainly cursed Gilbert, muttering how incompetent she was in guarding the princess. When it was Gilbert who was reported to have lost in action, she was seriously thinking of taking up his position. She did offer Cornelia — well, requested, to be precise — to be his replacement, but the princess had no intention of having any other knight but GilbertG. P. Guilford, sightless as he was. Furthermore, she caught glance of a photograph on the princess' desk — the wedding photo of Ohgi Kaname and Viletta Nu, where Gilbert was standing next to Cornelia.

Naturally, all these drove Nonette into an even more immense jealousy. Still, she would not let her emotion got over logic: there must be certain quality that made Gilbert worthy of Cornelia's favour and this was what she ought to find out. Thus, the  _Investigating Guilford_  Operation began.

Guilford had never been an affable bachelor before and with his current blindness, he became even more difficult to approach. He would use things like practising reading and writing in Braille as excuses to keep him away from socialising. Nonette knew, nevertheless, that it was not shame that made him do so, but pure devotion. He was worried lest his disability would hinder him from being Cornelia's knight. He wanted the best for her. _His_  best.

Perhaps because it was something beyond her grasp. Perhaps because she admired how such a blind person struggled to give his best to his beloved instead of giving up. Perhaps because Cornelia thought so highly of him. Perhaps because Nonette pitied him. Or perhaps because a mixture of them all, but whichever it was, gradually Nonette found it difficult to distinguish whether she was jealous over Gilbert or over Cornelia whenever she saw them conversing or walking together. Could be over both.

'Lord Guilford,' Nonette cornered him onto a deserted room within the palace one day, 'I challenge you. Let the loser abide to the winner's behest!'

'I don't see there is any need for this.'

'Of course you don't see it. You're blind!'

'What's going on with all the sudden childish demeanour, Knight of Nine?'

'Didn't you know I've been itching to try you out all these years?'

'Then why didn't you challenge me back then?'

'Afraid you're going to lose because of your blindness? Going to use it as an excuse to turn tail from me? Or are you crippled now, after all, you did use a crutch for a couple of months?' she mocked.

Gilbert did not reply, so Nonette taunted him again, 'And you call yourself Her Highness Princess Cornelia's knight?'

Her provocation hit him hard.

' _En garde_!' He withdrew his sword, brought its pommel to his mouth in salutation, and positioned his arms and legs as was proper for a stance.

He might be the man who was once called ' _the Spearhead of the Empire_ ', and if Nonette had been honest, Gilbert's ' _stesso tempo_ ' — parrying and riposting in one action — was quite a sight to see. Nonetheless, this was fencing — her best subject from kindergarten hitherto, the very subject that brought Cornelia and many other excellent fencers down on their knees.

Even though Gilbert was careful enough not to get entrapped by Nonette's ' _invitation_ ' — positioning that intentionally exposed openings to purposely draw attacks — Cornelia's knight still failed to predict Nonette's ' _redoppio'_  — diagonal rising cut — which was aimed at him while he was delivering a ' _stocatta_   _lunga_ ' — a lunge and low straight thrust. He was overcome before he had a chance for any ' _remise'_.

'Do you admit defeat Lord Guilford?'

 _Let the loser abide to the winner's behest!_  Gilbert inhaled and clenched his jaws simultaneously. 'What is your wish, Ms Enneagram?'

'It's Miss. But I'd rather you call me Nonette from now on.'

Whatever was in Gilbert's mind, it was surely not this. 'I beg your pardon?'

'You heard me. But enough of that chatter now. Kiss me!'

Gilbert neither did nor said anything for a while. Eventually, when he made his reply, his voice was thick with restrained rage. 'There are limits even for jokes, Knight of Nine. Today is not even the first of April; you are going too far!'

Nonette now swept up with air of impatience. She tangled Gilbert's lips with her own, while encircling his back with her arms. It was not a romantic embrace; rather, it was a forceful grip to prevent him from backing off.

He did not respond to her kiss. Instead, after she pulled out at last, he told her, 'I'm sorry, I can't accept your feelings,' and turned to step away.

Nonetheless, having foreseen that much, she answered, 'I never expect you to … not with Princess Cornelia in our mind anyway.'

The mention of this very name made Gilbert halt and even swerve.

'You aren't the only one who one-sidedly loves her,' she told him.

He swallowed a guilty gulp. 'Be that as it may, it does not mean we ought to be … together.'

'You are talking to the wrong person if you were to discuss what ought to be or not to be. I only do what I want. I want you. And I'm not going to give up simply because of your refusal.'

'What about my right to choose?'

'What about your honour to keep an agreement "Let the loser abide to the winner's behest!"?'

Gilbert spoke nothing.

Nonette told him in softer tone, 'Rest assured, I shall not demand a lifelong devotion. Just give me a month. Let me feel how it is to be loved…' then she continued with an undertone, '… since my loved one won't love me back.'

Approaching the Knight of Nine, the second princess' personal knight kissed her hard without further warning. Nonette shuddered. It was as if all Gilbert's affection — all he felt for Cornelia all these years — had been pouring themselves into her. Her knees started buckling; he could not see them, but he could hear her sigh of pleasure and felt her trembling body under the pressure of his fingers. He took her in his arms — bride-style — while deepening their kiss, and then carried her to bed.

At first, both of them had to imagine they had been making love to Cornelia, but somewhere during the process, things gradually changed. Under the unfurled blanket of passion, he realised it was Nonette's limbs that held him tight instead of Cornelia's. Under the rain of his sweat, she realised it was Gilbert's flesh that caressed her tenderly instead of Cornelia's. Under night's indispensable darkness, they melted in each other's embrace.

When Gilbert was fast asleep, Nonette gazed at him. Never before she felt so weak before a man, but when she was with him, she desired nothing but an absolute surrender to this tacit conqueror. There wasn't even any room within her to spare a thought for Cornelia. Every single cell of her, every bit of it, was solely thinking of Gilbert G. P. Guilford during their bedding session. But this could not be. This must _not_  be! In another twenty-nine days, he'd no longer be here.

Easier said than done!

Gilbert was a fine gentleman. Whenever he was on her side, he would not let her experience the slightest inconvenience. And what's more, he was not half-hearted while performing his duty. He escorted her with manner; he courted her with kindness; and he showed such devotion more than she could ever ask. He was, to sum it up, the manifestation of everything a woman could dream of.

When he officially introduced her to his kith and kin as his official girlfriend, Cornelia congratulated them with sincere smile. And, strangely enough, this did not break Gilbert's heart. Instead, he worried in case it was Nonette who felt devastated. Since when he thought about the Knight of Nine more than his princess and his country?

Time flew. With Gilbert, Nonnette's days became her sweetest memories, while her nights, her wildest dreams. During the past four weeks, their life felt like fireworks — beautiful but transient. Tonight was the last moment before the time was up.

After a passionate bedding session, she said, 'Hold me more!' and clung onto him.  _Hold me like you've never done before, for you'll never hold me again when the sun rises._

However, when the sun did rise, he did not leave her side. When she rose from the bed, he encircled his arms around her waist and kissed her backside all over, from top to bottom. 'Stay with me today?'

At times like this, she was glad that he was blind; he would have noticed tears forming at the corners of  her eyes otherwise. 'Yes.'

He took her from behind, embracing her and kissing the crook of her neck while he did. Today was their last day together. She did not suppress her moans; she wanted him to know how much pleasure she felt when he was inside her.

After the short interlude of brunch, he pounded her onto the mattress again and they spent the day in bed. Late in the afternoon, he asked, 'Do you fancy going to the lake?'

 _So that's where he is going to end this._ 'Yes.'  _My love._

The lake of Gilbert's choosing was indeed breathtaking. It was the beginning of autumn. With the last ray of sunset, she could still perceive fallen leaves of crimson and gold floating on the water surface. Then, after the sun sank below the horizon, fireflies began emerging one after another like winged lamplights in the dark.

There was nobody else but themselves on the lake precinct, and yet, a single boat could be found at the edge of the lake, which he then used to carry her across the lake. No words were exchanged between them as he rowed. He was obviously nervous; she thought it best to let their last moment be filled with serenity.

_He has been such a good lover. If only he could be mine for the rest of my life... No, I mustn't bother him more than this!_

When they got further into the middle of the bayou, fireworks began to appear in the sky. It was not just any pyrotechnic display either; the colourful sparks formed 'Would you marry me, Nonette Enneagram?' in a heart-shaped enclosure.

After a few seconds, the fireworks died down. Nonette was speechless still and Gilbert seemed even more nervous. Nevertheless, he took a small box from his pocket and presented her the wedding ring. He did not hear her 'By all means, yes!' reply until he felt a pair of arms flinging around his neck.

As the two of them comforted each other in a long-lingering embrace, he whispered to her, ' _Se erao._ ' He heard her chuckling mildly, and continued, 'They said Classical Greek was your best subject next to fencing in the academy.' 'They who?' Gilbert had to swallow before answering, 'Princess Cornelia.' Nonette smiled and stoke her fiancé's hair. ' _Te amo._ ' Now it became his turn to smile as he heard her reply, 'They said Latin was your speciality.' 'They who?' 'Princess Cornelia, of course.'

**Author's Note:**

> You have probably guessed that the Latin phrase 'te amo' is the origin for the Italian phrase 'ti amo' which means 'I love you.' Well, ''se erao" means the same thing, although words like ''agapo" or ''philo" are more frequently used. As far as I know, these three words mean 'I love', but 'philo' is usually used in non-romantic context, for example the love for one's country. Although in Modern Greek, people say 'sagapo' to describe love in romantic context, the Ancient Greek word 'agapo' can also be used more universally, like the love of God for humankind, for instance. Therefore, I am left with 'erao', which means 'I love' or 'I desire' (erotically).


End file.
